Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Kincora survivor: The stolen life of Richard Kerr, including his account of how Ian Paisley strove to cover up child abuse

Reverend Ian Paisley

The Reverend Ian Paisley, who served as First Minister of Northern Ireland (NI ), 2007-2008, was aware of the sexual abuse of boys which took place at Kincora Boys Home during the 1970s. Paisley learnt about it from Valerie Shaw, who served as secretary of the ‘missionary council’ of his church, on 28 October 1973.

Shaw denounced Paisley at a press conference in 1982: “I approached Dr Paisley on at least seven occasions”, she said. “I asked him time and time again what he intended to do about this. My concern all along was very much for the fact that there were young boys under the threat of this man’s corruption”.

The man she was referring to was William McGrath, the ‘Housefather’ at Kincora, and a long-time associate of Paisley before they fell out in the 1970s. Some of the RUC officers who investigated Kincora came to refer to him as ‘The Beast’. What has now emerged is that Paisley also participated in the cover-up of the scandal in the early 1980s. Many of the residents at Kincora were raped by McGrath, Joseph Mains and Raymond Semple, all of whom were convicted in December 1981. Others got away. These included Paisley’s former bodyguard, John Dunlop McKeague, a sadistic Loyalist paramilitary serial killer. Another was Pastor Willie Mullan, an Evangelical friend of Paisley. Paisley conceded that Valerie Shaw had informed him about McGrath’s reign of terror, although not that he worked at Kincora. “Yes, she did say – she made accusations against Mr McGrath – and she based these on the evidence of Mr ‘X’. When I met Mr ‘X’, he would not meet Mr McGrath and I of course did the only thing I could do: I put (sic) Mr McGrath from taking part in an Orange [Order] service in my church. He wasn’t a member of my church but I took that discipline immediately; and I regret Miss Shaw didn’t go to police”.

Shaw, however, had gone to the RUC but had recieved no help.

Shaw also informed two senior figures at the Church who warned her Paisley would “destroy” her if she persisted in her campaign.

Shaw’s efforts to engage Paisley lasted a year and a half, after which she left his church in disgust. (more...)